Injury and Psychology (Boxing)

Hi folks. This post is broken into two parts. A simple question and a more rambling complex one:

Short part:

I was sparring (boxing) yesterday. I took a light hit on the eye. Its not bruised but today my eye is irritated. Should I be worried and is there much evidence of permanent damage from punches to the eye?

Long part:

I've been boxing around 6 months and before that participated in a variety of martial arts. I've never seen myself as a tough guy but I'm not soft either. I train hard, I don't mind pain, and I've been in enough fights to know what its about.

I find myself in a curious situation. I LOVE sparring. It gives me a huge adrenaline rush. I love the mental game and the physical exertion. I don't mind receiving a few shots as long as I land a few myself, and as long as I feel I learnt something each session.
However, I am also quite protective of my body. I need to be able to think straight for my job. I quite like my nose the shape it is. My fingers need to be in working order for many reasons.

So I find myself caught between a love of boxing (and other martial arts) and a fear of injury. I'm never going to be world champion so I'm trying to find a balance here.

I was sparring (boxing) yesterday. I took a light hit on the eye. Its not bruised but today my eye is irritated. Should I be worried and is there much evidence of permanent damage from punches to the eye?

It doesn't sound too serious. If it gets worse in the next 2 days, go see a doctor.

The main eye injury in contact sports is a loose retina. Boxing gloves shield you eyeballs from poke injuries quite well.

Genrally, a boxers' eyesight remains intact.

Originally Posted by calmPsycho

I've been boxing around 6 months and before that participated in a variety of martial arts. I've never seen myself as a tough guy but I'm not soft either. I train hard, I don't mind pain, and I've been in enough fights to know what its about.

I find myself in a curious situation. I LOVE sparring. It gives me a huge adrenaline rush. I love the mental game and the physical exertion. I don't mind receiving a few shots as long as I land a few myself, and as long as I feel I learnt something each session.
However, I am also quite protective of my body. I need to be able to think straight for my job. I quite like my nose the shape it is. My fingers need to be in working order for many reasons.

So I find myself caught between a love of boxing (and other martial arts) and a fear of injury. I'm never going to be world champion so I'm trying to find a balance here.

Self-preservation, VERY IMPORTANT. This is a very general question.

How often do you train? How much contact do you receive on an average training? Do you compete?

Genral advice is this, be smart and give yourself time to heal between training sessions. Your body has the capability to recover.